The Bear River is the largest tributary of the Great Salt Lake, draining a mountainous area and farming valleys northeast of the lake and southeast of the Snake River Plain. It flows through parts of three U.S. states (Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming), covers 7,500 square miles (19,000 km2) and is 350 miles (560 km) long. However, after looping through Wyoming and Idaho, its final 100 miles (160 km) run parallel to its original route, causing it to only "travel" a net distance of about 90 miles (140 km). It winds through a catchment area of high valleys and gorges carved by the Bear River and its tributaries, its flow rushing down to the Great Salt Lake Desert. Due to water deprivation, only a tiny portion of its water reaches the Great Salt Lake, otherwise, it would be the lake's largest tributary. The river is used extensively for irrigation and municipal water supply.
